"I learned so much from being in a band about how to be a working artist, how to be disciplined and steady and not freak out if you sucked one night and were good the next.  Or if you wrote three terrible songs and then one good one and then the next month wrote one bad song and three good ones.  And also about structure and rhythm and when to follow the rules and when not to.  And how to be super simple.  And how to use your random emotions to your advantage.  Especially to make sure to "work" when you were upset or freaked out because not only did you feel better but you usually came up with something unusual and good."